Driver distraction while using personal devices such as cell phones, tablets, or other electronic devices is a significant cause of annoyance to other drivers, as well as a potential safety hazard. In one form, the problem includes situations where the vehicle is in slow or stopped traffic, including those associated with a traffic control device such as a red light, stop sign or the like. When distracted drivers do not maintain the traffic flow in such circumstances, the number of vehicles that are able to get through an area of interest within the allotted time is decreased, which in turn leads to congestion and associated delays. In one notable example, failure to move once other vehicles that are ahead start to move through an intersection during each traffic control device cycle increases the queue of vehicles at the intersection, which in turn exacerbates congestion in the surrounding area.
Many vehicles now have electronic vision systems to monitor the forward view of a vehicle, including forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane keeping, adaptive cruise control or the like. Likewise, many vehicles are equipped with navigation systems to provide spatial information. Vehicles so equipped can provide range and range-rate signals of forward vehicles, while an alarm is provided to the driver to inform him or her of the corresponding distance and closure/separation rate information between the equipped vehicle and the forward vehicle in situations where the system determines that the driver is distracted. In a related form, other systems may improve driver situational awareness at intersections. By prompting the driver that a traffic control device (such as a traffic light) has changed, such a system can help a driver better identify the status of the traffic control device in order to improve driver response time and reduce the likelihood of a backup, including in situations where the equipped vehicle is not the first in line at the traffic control device.
While useful for their intended purpose, such systems do not rely upon their sensors to look for indicia (such as illuminated brake lights or the like) of a stopped vehicle immediately in front of the equipped vehicle as a way to decide whether to send a warning to the driver of the equipped vehicle, as discussed above. Moreover, such systems do not appear to distinguish traditional traffic situations from those in a parking lot, driveway or the like where traditional traffic-congestion issues are either inapplicable or of significantly reduced concern. By failing to take such different circumstances into consideration, such a system tends to be a source of additional distraction or aggravation to the driver rather than as an aid to improved situation awareness.